MembershipoftheRoyalCollegeofPathologistsofAustralasia
(RCPA)
TheRCPAoffersmembershipatanumberoflevelsincludingFellowship,
Affiliateship,andAssociateship.InadditiontheCollegehasthreeFaculties:The
FacultyofOralandMaxillofacialPathology,theFacultyofScienceandThe
FacultyofClinicalForensicMedicinewherepeopleareabletoattainFaculty
Fellowship.ThereisalsoaspecialcategoryofHonoraryFellowshipforpersons
ofeminenceinrelationtoPathology.
Allcategoriesofmembershiphaveaccesstoconsiderablebenefitsof
membershipwhicharedetailedinthisFactSheet.
CategoriesofMembership
1.
Fellow:FRCPA
TobecomeaFellowyoumustholdamedicaldegreeandhavecompleted
specialisttraining(5years)and/orexamination/assessmentbytheCollege
andbegrantedadmissiontoFellowshipbytheCollege.TheCollege
recognizespriorlearningandqualificationsofoverseastrainedpathologists
andothermedicalpractitionersandonapplicationtotheCollegedoctors
maybegrantedexemptionsfromtrainingtime/examinations/assessments.
Furtherinformationforoverseastraineddoctors/specialistscanbefoundon
theCollegewebsite.FellowsoftheCollegehavefullvotingrightsandaccessto
allCollegeactivitiesandresources.
2. Trainee
InordertobecomeaFellowoftheCollegeapersonmustbecomeatraineeof
theCollege.Traineeswillholdamedicaldegreeandbeworkingtowards
completingFellowshiprequirementsfortheCollege.
TraineeshavefullrightstoeducationalandsocialactivitiesoftheCollege.
3. FellowoftheFacultyofOralandMaxillofacialPathology:FFOMPFOMP
TheCollegeBoardofDirectorshasthepowertosetupFaculties.TheFaculty
ofOralandMaxillofacialPathologywasestablishedin1996.Ithasitsownset
ofBy‐laws.SomeFacultymembersaredualmembers(i.e. alsofullFellowsof
theCollege).FellowsoftheFacultyhavevotingrightswithinthe Faculty.
All Faculty Fellows have website and publication rights. Otherthanthose
grandfatheredinduringthefirsttwoyearsoftheFaculty,andthose
grandfatheredinasodontologistsin2012,allmembersgothrougha
fullCollegetrainingprograminordertobeeligible tobecomeFellowsofthe
Faculty.
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4.
FellowoftheFacultyofScienceFFScandFFSc(Research)
TheFacultyofSciencecommencedin2010viaagrandfatheringprocessfor
Fellows,aprocesswhichceasedattheendofDecember2011.Afull College
training programisnowrequired to achieve Fellowship.Anotherpathto
FacultyFellowshipisviaresearch.Thispathisbyreviewandavailableto
veryexperiencedscientistswithahighlevelofdocumented
research/publications.Faculty Fellows have a science or medicaldegree
andareabletodemonstratesomeseniorityintermsoftheirroles,
publications and activities in the realms of pathology. There are many
FellowsofRCPAwhoarealsoFellowsoftheFacultyofScience.Facultyof
ScienceFellowshavewebsiteandpublicationrights.
5.
FellowoftheFacultyofClinicalForensicMedicineFFCFM
TheFacultycommencedthegrandfatheringprocessin2014concludingin
December2015fromwhichtimeafullCollegetrainingprogrambecamethe
requirementforFacultyFellowship.TheFacultyalsooffersalesserlevelof
Associatemembership.Toqualifyfortrainingamedicaldegreeand
postgraduatedegreearetheminimumrequirements.FacultyFellowshave
websiteandrightsandvotingrightswithintheFaculty.
6.
Affiliate:
SpecialistPathologistswhohavequalificationsandexperiencefromtheir
countryoforiginwhohavenotundertakenRCPAFellowshipsexaminations
mayapplyforAffiliateMembership.
7.
HonoraryFellowship:HonFRCPA
ConferredbytheCollegeBoardofDirectors onpersonsofeminence,or
anypersonwhorendersexceptionalservicestothescienceorpractice of
Pathology,totheprofessionofPathology,ortotheCollege.
8.
Associate:ARCPA
Universitygraduates,whohaveintheopinionoftheBoardofDirectors
sufficientlydistinguishedthemselvesinafieldassociatedwithpathologycan
applytobeconsideredasAssociates.
 Associateshavewebsiteandpublicationrights.
BenefitsofMembership
Thereareconsiderablebenefitstomembership.AFellowshipoftheRCPAisan
internationallyrecognizedqualificationandholdingtheFellowshipoftheCollege
andFellowshipofFacultiesoftheCollegewillconferonmembers’qualifications
whichareabletobeusedinrelationtocareeradvancement.(FRCPA,FFOMP,
FFSc,FFCFM).Inadditionthereareconsiderableotherbenefits,whichcanbe
accessed.Othermembers’benefitsinclude:
AccesstothemembersectionoftheCollegeWebsite,whichincludesmany
featuresanddocumentsnotavailableonthegeneralsite.
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1. EducationPortal
Access to the password protected member only Education Portal which
containsconsiderableeducationandtrainingresourcesacrossthewhole
continuumofeducationfrommedicalstudenttotraineeto specialist
pathologistorscientist.Superficially:
 Disciplinespecificcurriculumandrelatededucationalmaterial
ModulesongenericcurriculumactivitiessuchasSafetyQualityand
LaboratoryManagement
 Othermodules
 Supervisorinformationandtraining
 TraineeNetworks
 PracticeExams/answers/examinerfeedback
 Tests
 CaseStudies
 Recordedlectures
 Recordedcoursematerials
 RCPAQAPCases
2. AccesstoallotherEducationActivitiesoftheCollege
The College conducts a large number of educational activities including
thehighlysuccessfulannualPathologyUpdateConferencewhich attracts
wellover1,000delegateseachyearacrossalldisciplinesofpathology.In
additiontherearemanyotherconferences,shortcourses, video
conferencingactivities,webinarsandtutorialsrunbytheCollege.
3. CollegePublications
TheCollegeproducesarangeofpublicationsincluding:
 AscientificjournalcalledPathologywhichisahighlyregarded
peerreviewedjournal.
 PathologyTodayafortnightlye‐newsletterthatkeepsmembers
abreastofallCollegeandpathologyrelatedactivitiesandnews.
 RCPAPolicyDocumentsthatcanprovideadviceandassistancetoyou
onprofessionalpracticeandqualityissuesareonthewebsite.
 ePathWay,anelectronicnewsletterthataimstoeducatethe public
aboutpathologyingeneralandaboutpathologistsandscientists;
and
 CommonSensePathologywhereeachissueconcentratesonaparticular
topicandisaimedatinformingrequestingdoctors.
 RCPAPathologyManual,TheManual,acomprehensiveonlinefacility
whichisaimedatrequestingdoctorsandgivesfullinformationon
conditions,symptoms,suggestedtests.
4. ContinuingProfessionalDevelopmentProgram(CPDP)
All members are eligible to enroll in the RCPA’s CPDP program a
requirementincreasinglyrequiredbyregistrationagenciesaroundthe
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world.CPDPismandatoryforCollegeFellows.
5. AdvocacyforPathologyandPathologistsandScientists
TheCollegehasmanyopportunitiestoinfluencegovernmentsandother
bodiesinallmattersrelatedtopathology(exceptindustrialrelations),
butparticularlyintheareasofstandards,quality,safety,andeducation
andtraining and workforce. The College also has an active public
relationscampaigntopromotepathologypathologistsandscientists.
6. ParticipationinLargeSpecialtyNetworksofColleagues
MembershipoftheRCPAgivesyouaccesstothecontactdetailsofavery
largeanddiverserangeofpathologistsandseniorscientistsinAustralasia
andalsoinmanyotheroverseaslocations.
7. ParticipateinCommitteesoftheCollege
Therearemanyopportunitiesformemberstobecomeactivelyinvolved
inCollegeactivitiesviaoneofitsvariouscommittees,averyrewarding
activityandonewhichcreatesmanynewcontactsforpeopleandaccess
tothelatestproposalsandactivities,particularlyindisciplinebased
committees.
OtherImportantInformationforpotentialmembers
1. FeeReductionsforDifficultSocio‐EconomicConditions
Alltrainingandexaminationandmembershipfeesmaybereducedonthe
basisoffinancialcircumstances.Thisisaslidingscale,Forexample
 Ifanapplicant/membersincomefromprofessionalpracticeislessthan
$20,000feesarereducedto10%ofnormalfees;
 Ifanapplicant/membersincomefromprofessionalpracticeisbetween
$20,000‐$30,000feesarereducedto20%ofnormalfees;
 Ifanapplicant/membersincomefromprofessionalpracticeisbetween
$30,000‐$60,000feesarereducedto50%ofnormalfees;
 Ifanapplicant/membersincomefromprofessionalpracticegreater
than$60,000feesareatnormalrates;
Furtherpreviousrequirementstopayfortrainingtimeorexamswhich
youhavebeenexemptednolongerapply.
2. SubstantiallyComparableOverseasQualifications
ForthosequalificationsthattheCollegedeemstobesubstantially
comparabletotheAustralasianFellowshipoverseastrainedpathologists
mayfollowaPeerReviewpathwaytoFellowshipwhichonlyinvolvesa
periodofsatisfactorypeerassessment(usually12months)toattain
Fellowship.CurrentlytheFRCPathqualificationfromtheUKisaccepted
inthiscategory,mainlyAnatomicalPathologyandChemicalPathology,
butotherdisciplinesmayalsobeeligibledependingontraining.
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